Coalition for Buzzards Bay to Take the Plunge

Swim Buzzards Bay, a 1.2-mile open water swim and fundraising event for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, will take place next Saturday, July 19, 2008. The swim, from Davy’s Locker Beach in New Bedford to Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven, affirms the importance of clean water and a healthy environment and raises money for the Coalition’s education, conservation, research and advocacy programs.

To register to swim, sponsor a swimmer, or view photos from the 2007 swim, please visit the Coalition for Buzzards Bay’s website.

Bourne Conservation Commission to Take Closer Look at Sailing Program on Mashnee Island

“Sailing Program Will Get a Closer Look”
The Bourne Courier, July 8, 2008
By Paul Gately

Paul Gately reports that the Bourne Conservation Commission will review Bourne Community Boating’s plan to enhance its sailing program on Mashnee Island. The proposed enhancements, which involve a small parcel of open space, have sparked fierce debate over whether wetlands are involved.

Related articles:

•  “Islanders Unite Around Opposition to Sail Program Expansion,”
     The Bourne Courier, June 25, 2008

Local and Regional Job Opportunities

Whether you are a budding conservationist, natural resources scientist, seasoned environmental leader, or fund raiser who understands the value of greenery, here are some interesting local and regional job opportunities related to land conservation and open space preservation:

•  Director of Development, Barnstable Land Trust

•  Vice President for Watershed Protection, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Summer Outreach Assistant, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Development and Finance Assistant, Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Research Supervisor, Nantucket Conservation Foundation

•  Preserve Manager, Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts

•  Southeast/Islands Regional Director, Mass Audubon

•  Massachusetts State Development Director, Trust for Public Land

Mashnee Islanders Oppose Expansion of Sailing Program in Bourne Because of Wetland Concerns

“Islanders Unite Around Opposition to Sail Program Expansion”
The Bourne Courier, June 25, 2008
By Paul Gately

Paul Gately reports that Mashnee Island residents have contacted the Bourne Conservation Commission to express their opposition to a local organization's plan to use a tract of open space next to a restaurant for a summer sailing program. The islanders believe the area is a critical wetland and are seeking environmental protection for it. The Conservation Commission disagrees and neighborhood tension is high.

Wildlands Trust Unveils Redesigned Website

The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts recently launched a redesigned website. Simple and easy to navigate, the site contains the Trust’s statement of mission, list of preserves, press releases, newsletters, and annual reports. Two of the site's most notable features: beautiful photographs and “Tools for Towns,” a section of online mapping tools.

Founded in 1973 as the Plymouth County Wildlands Trust, the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving land and preserving the natural heritage of Southeastern Massachusetts. To date, it has protected over 5,400 acres of land in four counties and 31 communities across the region.

Sheehan Family Foundation: Recent Grants

Founded in 1992 and endowed by wholesale beer distributor L. Knife and Son, Inc., of Kingston, MA, the Sheehan Family Foundation’s mission is “to protect the environment and to enhance the quality of education, with a focus on projects in eastern Massachusetts.”

More specifically, according to the Foundation’s Five Year Report: 2003 to 2007, “We continue to focus on protecting land, rivers, and oceans with grants to purchase open space and for capacity building to bring together top talent and resources. Protecting our natural resources against ever-mounting threats due to the rapid pace of development in Southeastern Massachusetts requires increasingly complex strategies. ... We continuously reexamine and revise our strategies to maximize the impact of our grants. Over the past five years, our 26 environmental grants were each linked directly to our strategies and leveraged about $10 million in public and private funds.”

Grants to nonprofits for the period 2003 to 2007 included:

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $45,000, to advocate for solutions to improve the Bay’s ecology

•  Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, $30,000, to protect Bone Hill Farm in Barnstable

•  Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, $377,250

•  Woods Hole Research Center, $25,000, "to produce an educational poster showing land use changes in Southeastern Massachusetts from 1971-1999 and forecast two possible growth scenarios for the year 2030"

•  Yarmouth Conservation Trust, $10,000, to preserve the Dennis Pond conservation area

Protect Your Noggin With a Conservation Cap

As summer approaches, it’s important to maintain proper head protection from the powerful rays of the sun. A great way to do this is to purchase a conservation cap, which is nothing more than a baseball cap or bucket hat with a neat conservation logo! Check out offerings from these organizations:

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay

•  Nantucket Conservation Foundation

•  Orenda Wildlife Land Trust

•  Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust

•  The 300 Committee

•  Mass Audubon

•  The Nature Conservancy

•  Trust for Public Land

Volunteer at the Coalition for Buzzards Bay

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is just one of the many conservation and environmental organizations on the Cape & Islands that leans upon the hard work and generosity of volunteers to help fulfill its mission.

Founded in 1987, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay is a “membership-supported non profit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and sustainable use and enjoyment of our irreplaceable Bay and its watershed. The Coalition works to improve the health of the Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research and advocacy.”

At the moment, volunteer opportunities at the Coalition include:

•  Baywatchers: Help monitor harbors, coves, and rivers of the Bay

•  Baykeeper Support: Help keep the Bay clean by providing pump-out service to boaters in Cuttyhunk

•  Office Support: Help with office reception and membership mailings

•  Beach Clean-Up: Help clean the Bay’s beaches

•  Swim Buzzards Bay, July 19, 2008: “Each year swimmers participate in a 1.2 mile open-water swim across outer New Bedford Harbor. The funds they raise to support their swim, along with the public awareness generated from the event, make for a great day for Buzzards Bay. Volunteers are needed to swim, as well as help organize, promote and ensure the event goes off without a hitch.”

For more information, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities page at the Coalition’s website.

Cape Walk 2008 Unfazed by Rain

“Biennial Walk Across Cape Presses on Despite Rain”
Cape Cod Times, June 5, 2008
By Susan Milton

BREWSTER -- Charlie Manolakis could easily drive from Provincetown to Bourne in 90 minutes or less.

But every two years, the Tucson retiree takes nine days to walk an estimated 100 miles of trail between the towns. He's done Cape Walk, a hike sponsored by Cape Cod Pathways, eight times since 1995. ...

Despite obstacles, participation in Cape Walk has grown, and this year, included the most people yet ... ©

Read the full article in the Cape Cod Times.

For a participant’s account of this year’s walk and a collection of related photographs, please read Walking CapeWalk, a blog maintained by Lucy Loomis, “casual hiker, mom, and Director of the Sturgis Library in Barnstable Village.”

Also, note that Cape Cod Pathways hosts an annual Walking Weekend every October. Check the 2007 schedule for a taste of what this year's event might entail.

Norcross Wildlife Foundation: Recent Grants

The Norcross Wildlife Foundation was founded in 1965 by Arthur D. Norcross, founder of the Norcross Greeting Card Company and a native of Monson, MA. Located in New York City, the Foundation’s mission includes “To support, through grants, gifts, easements and loans-for-land, the activities of a national and international constituency of not-for-profit wildlife conservation organizations.”

With assets of more than $70 million, the Foundation has awarded grants over the past few years to several Cape Cod organizations, primarily for computer-related equipment. For example:

•  Barnstable Land Trust, $2,000 in 2006, for digital camera and LCD projector

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $3,000 in 2004, for equipment for new facility at Nashawena Mills

•  Coalition for Buzzards Bay, $5,000 in 2007, for an electronic fish counter and/or associated equipment and materials

•  Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, $3,000 in 2006, for computer equipment, digital camera, and GIS software

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $3,200 in 2004, for PowerPoint projection equipment for public education

•  Harwich Conservation Trust, $3,000 in 2007, for digital copier and desktop computer

•  Orenda Wildlife Land Trust, $2,000 in 2003, for computer-related equipment

•  The 300 Committee, $3,000 in 2003, for digital camera and projector

•  Tuckernuck Land Trust, $5,000 in 2005, for materials for closets, shelves, and hardware for new field station

Cape Walk 2008: May 31st to June 8th

The seventh Cape Walk, a nine-day trek across Cape Cod with some of the region's most experienced hikers and trail walkers, starts today, May 31, 2008, at Herring Cove in Provincetown. The walk will end at Scusset Beach State Reservation in Bourne, on Sunday, June 8, 2008.

Sponsored by Cape Cod Pathways, the walk is not a fundraiser but rather a celebration of Cape Cod's many conservation areas. Participants can walk one day, join in for several days, or walk the entire distance over the nine-day event:

•  Day 1, Saturday, May 31st, Provincetown to Truro
•  Day 2, Sunday, June 1st, Truro to Wellfleet
•  Day 3, Monday, June 2nd, Wellfleet to Eastham
•  Day 4, Tuesday, June 3rd, Eastham to Brewster
•  Day 5, Wednesday, June 4th, Brewster to Dennis
•  Day 6, Thursday, June 5th, Dennis to Yarmouth
•  Day 7, Friday, June 6th, Yarmouth to Barnstable
•  Day 8, Saturday, June 7th, Barnstable to Sandwich
•  Day 9, Sunday, June 8th, Sandwich to Bourne

For more information and complete details of each day's walk, please read the six-page program booklet.

Town of Bourne’s 2008-2012 Open Space Plan

As a follow-up to “Municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans,” our blog post of May 24, 2008, we note that the Town of Bourne also has posted online its 2008-2012 Open Space and Recreation Plan (14.2 MB, 245 pages).

The plan’s “Inventory of Parcels of Conservation and Recreation Interest” details parcels owned by various entities, including the Bourne Conservation Trust and the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts (formerly Plymouth County Wildlands Trust).

Nominations for 2008 Land Trust Alliance Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 Land Trust Alliance awards, which honor the work of member land trusts and land conservationists across the country. To be presented at the Alliance’s Rally 2008 in September, these peer-nominated awards offer an opportunity to highlight land conservation successes and recognize land trust leaders for their hard work and dedication to protecting land.

Nominations for the following awards should be submitted by July 1, 2008:

•  Kingsbury Browne Conservation Leadership Award
•  National Land Trust Excellence Award
•  National Conservation Volunteer of the Year

Last year the Coalition for Buzzards Bay was selected as the first recipient of the National Land Trust Excellence Award for the work of its Bay Lands Center, which protected more than 3,000 acres of land from 2001 to 2006. Learn more about the Coalition's ongoing campaign to preserve open space in the watershed by tuning into "Land Conservation on Buzzards Bay," an upcoming piece on WCAI radio, the Cape and Islands NPR station, on Friday, June 6, 2008. The piece is part of a series on Cape Cod's waters.

Cape Walk 2008: May 31st to June 8th

The seventh Cape Walk, a nine-day trek across Cape Cod with some of the region's most experienced hikers and trail walkers, will journey from Herring Cove in Provincetown, Saturday, May 31, to Scusset Beach State Reservation in Bourne, Sunday, June 8, 2008.

Sponsored by Cape Cod Pathways, the walk is not a fundraiser but rather a celebration of Cape Cod's many conservation areas. Participants can walk one day, join in for several days, or walk the entire distance over the nine-day event:

•  Day 1, Saturday, May 31, Provincetown to Truro
•  Day 2, Sunday, June 1, Truro to Wellfleet
•  Day 3, Monday, June 2, Wellfleet to Eastham
•  Day 4, Tuesday, June 3, Eastham to Brewster
•  Day 5, Wednesday, June 4, Brewster to Dennis
•  Day 6, Thursday, June 5, Dennis to Yarmouth
•  Day 7, Friday, June 6, Yarmouth to Barnstable
•  Day 8, Saturday, June 7, Barnstable to Sandwich
•  Day 9, Sunday, June 8, Sandwich to Bourne

For more information and complete details of each day's walk, please read the six-page program booklet.

2007 Town Annual Reports

Several towns have posted their 2007 Annual Reports on the Internet. While reading these reports isn't as enjoyable as reading a Robert Finch essay, it's a great way to learn about the accomplishments of municipal conservation, land acquisition, open space, and community preservation committees.

Reports for the following towns are available in pdf format. Note that some of the files are quite large and can take a while to download.

•  Barnstable (44 MB, 236 pages)

•  Bourne (11.7 MB, 368 pages)

•  Chatham (15.1 MB, 274 pages)

•  Dennis (4.4 MB, 467 pages)

•  Falmouth (2.5 MB, 216 pages)

•  Orleans (1.8 MB, 187 pages)

•  Provincetown (668 KB, 229 pages)

•  Sandwich (2.1 MB, 160 pages)

•  West Tisbury (5.3 MB, 194 pages)

Coalition for Buzzards Bay Posts Annual Report

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay, which released its 2007 Annual Report at its 20th Annual Meeting on April 3, 2008, has posted the report on its website.

At nearly 25 pages, this attractive report details the Coalition’s efforts at baykeeper advocacy, bay monitoring, land conservation, and education & outreach. Also, it contains the treasurer’s report, with revenue of $5.9 million, and a list of donors.

The Coalition’s website also has Saving Buzzards Bay Lands: Campaign Final Report 2001-2006, as well as other reports and newsletters.

Calendar of Events for May 2008

The month of May offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors and learn about the area's natural resources. Below are just a few of the dozens of events scheduled for May 2008. Check the respective websites for details and more listings!

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Spring Wildflowers at Bank Street Bogs Conservation Lands, Harwich
“Join botanist and journalist Rich Eldred to explore for spring wildflowers at Harwich Conservation Trust’s largest preserve.”
Harwich Conservation Trust

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Long Beach and the Centerville River Walk, Centerville
“Join Town of Barnstable Conservation Administrator Rob Gatewood and BLT’s Chris Babcock for a two-hour, 3-1/2 mile walk along Long Beach to the tip of the barrier spit and back by way of the Centerville River trail. Along the way, Rob will discuss coastal dynamics, beach nourishment projects, dredging, Piping Plovers, and much more.”
Barnstable Land Trust

Saturday, May 10, 2008
Give a Day for Buzzards Bay: Clean Up Marsh Island, Fairhaven
“What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend than by spending a day caring for Mother Earth with Mom?”
Coalition for Buzzards Bay

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Natural History Speaker Series: Turtles of the Coast
Naturalist Dennis Murley speaks about Sea Turtles and Terrapins.
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Friday, May 16, 2008
Lieutenant Island Hike, Wellfleet
“The Society owns about 200 acres on Lieutenant Island, including salt marsh, barrier beach, and coastal heathland. We'll circumnavigate the island on this 3-hour walk watching for shorebirds, checking on nesting piping plovers, and looking for signs of diamondback terrapins.”
Mass Audubon

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Wednesday Walk: Dennis Pond, Yarmouthport
Join Connie Boyce for a 3-to-4 mile walk.
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Sunday, May 25, 2008
Spawning Horseshoe Crabs, Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
“Stroll the southern shoreline of Nauset Marsh with Bob Prescott in search of spawning horseshoe crabs. Shorebirds and herons are among the other wildlife we will see in this beautiful location.”
Mass Audubon

Coalition for Buzzards Bay Honors Bay Guardians

"Local People Recognized at Coalition for Buzzards Bay Annual Meeting"
The Sentinel, April 10, 2008

BOURNE -- Several local people were recognized April 3, at The Coalition for Buzzards Bay 20th annual meeting with Bay Guardian Awards for their work in helping clean-up, protect and restore Buzzards Bay.

The Bay Guardian Award is the highest honor granted by the Coalition for Buzzards Bay. The meeting also featured a special presentation by one of the world’s leading climate change scientists. The Coalition elected two new Board members, Louise Mauran Nadler of Marion and Christopher Reddy of Falmouth, and presented this year’s Bay Guardian Awards and Volunteer Appreciation Award. ... ©

Read the full article in The Sentinel.

For additional information, please read the Coalition for Buzzards Bay’s press release of April 8, 2008.